Sounds like Bullinger needed to read more Erasmus, and less Augustine.
By: John C. Poirier on May 15, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Bullinger is too busy reading the Bible to read Augustine or Erasmus. Erasmus wasn’t reading the Bible much at all and Augustine was busy with Donatus.
Nothing compares to the Second Helvetic Confession to describe the content of the Reformation and to weave doctrine through the political issues of the day. Bullinger was a brilliant and yet underrated Reformer. Here is one portion, a small one, why this is such an important document for the church:
“Therefore, although not on account of any merit of ours, God has elected us, not directly, but in Christ, and on account of Christ, in order that those who are now engrafted into Christ by faith might also be elected.” And then, “And when the Lord was asked whether there were few that should be saved, he does not answer and tell them that few or many should be saved or damned, but rather he exhorts every man to “strive to enter by the narrow door” (Luke 13:24): as if he should say, It is not for you curiously to inquire about these matters, but rather to endeavor that you may enter into heaven by the straight way.” http://www.ccel.org/creeds/helvetic.htm
He understands that we have freedom and that God has elected us to be free in Christ. But he does not wrongly resolve that tension through rational parsing.
So much for just about anything regarding TULIP or the Westminster Confession which pretty much rapes the heart of the Reformation. So much for the “invisible church” as well. Fellowship with Christ = evidence of election. And Bullinger was indeed a big Augustine fan too. He mentions him about 15 times in the Second Helvetic Confession. Lest we think Augustine was somehow a bad influence! Augustine’s first statement regarding predestination at least was far more akin to what Bullinger notes here and there was no sign of a double-predestination until he was pushed to so so later on.
Sounds like Bullinger needed to read more Erasmus, and less Augustine.
By: John C. Poirier on May 15, 2008
at 2:11 pm
Bullinger is too busy reading the Bible to read Augustine or Erasmus. Erasmus wasn’t reading the Bible much at all and Augustine was busy with Donatus.
By: Jim on May 15, 2008
at 2:49 pm
Nothing compares to the Second Helvetic Confession to describe the content of the Reformation and to weave doctrine through the political issues of the day. Bullinger was a brilliant and yet underrated Reformer. Here is one portion, a small one, why this is such an important document for the church:
“Therefore, although not on account of any merit of ours, God has elected us, not directly, but in Christ, and on account of Christ, in order that those who are now engrafted into Christ by faith might also be elected.” And then, “And when the Lord was asked whether there were few that should be saved, he does not answer and tell them that few or many should be saved or damned, but rather he exhorts every man to “strive to enter by the narrow door” (Luke 13:24): as if he should say, It is not for you curiously to inquire about these matters, but rather to endeavor that you may enter into heaven by the straight way.” http://www.ccel.org/creeds/helvetic.htm
He understands that we have freedom and that God has elected us to be free in Christ. But he does not wrongly resolve that tension through rational parsing.
So much for just about anything regarding TULIP or the Westminster Confession which pretty much rapes the heart of the Reformation. So much for the “invisible church” as well. Fellowship with Christ = evidence of election. And Bullinger was indeed a big Augustine fan too. He mentions him about 15 times in the Second Helvetic Confession. Lest we think Augustine was somehow a bad influence! Augustine’s first statement regarding predestination at least was far more akin to what Bullinger notes here and there was no sign of a double-predestination until he was pushed to so so later on.
By: Drew on May 15, 2008
at 4:23 pm
Drew- it is a fantastic document. Really the most amazing of all the ‘Confessions’ the Church ever produced.
By: Jim on May 15, 2008
at 7:00 pm